My Secret Life
by Sanura Bey
Summary: Danelle, Dani, Salvatore is the last human descendent in Mystic Falls. She's done everything in her power to help her uncles save their lady love, Elena, but still feels alone in the large group of friends. She's not looking for love in either world, but that doesn't mean it will show up as an angry, blonde beauty.
1. Birthday

I sighed looking up at the ceiling above my bed. My good uncle was gone and my bad uncle was trying to get him back while wooing my good uncle's human girlfriend. I sighed again before getting up and starting the day. I guzzled a vial of vervain before putting the necklace my father gave me on. It was an old-fashioned statement necklace with a blue gem with an S curved around it. The metal was a bronze-silver color and the gem had a black spot in the background from its age. Uncle Stefan told me it was his mothers and he'd thought it was lost, but somehow my dad found it and gave it to me for my 16th birthday. That was also when he'd told me about Uncle Stefan and Uncle Damon. "Here's a family heirloom and the big family secret". What a birthday that was.

"I'm headed out!" I called out knowing Uncle Damon would hear me wherever he was in the house. Caroline wanted to meet and probably try to hook me up with another guy. I hadn't been on a date with a guy in over a year, and honestly, I hadn't planned on doing it again for a while. With the big family secret and the constant supernatural attacks, it just wasn't worth it. Not to mention people dying mysteriously. I'd only be able to be with someone who was already in on the big secret which narrowed the field. And that narrow field gets narrower with every death.

* * *

"What are you two doing?" Elena asked on the three-way call Caroline had put us on.

"Just shopping for the party you're trying to bail out on," Caroline asked her.

"And I'm avoiding my shopping date with Care," I joked. Sorta.

"And I won't let you do that. After I meet Tyler you and I are going to meet up and get you ready for the party tonight,"

"I never said yes to the party in the first place," Elena reminded her.

"You were never going to which is why I planned it anyway. And my mom wants you to call her," Caroline told her and I perked up at that.

"Did she find something about my uncle?" I asked hopefully.

"An animal attack in Memphis. It's the third one this week in Tennessee," Caroline told us.

"And you're sure it's a vampire?" Elena asked her.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that it's Klaus," Caroline reminded her.

"No it could be Stefan," I pointed out. "If he's in Ripper mode then he could be the cause of all the killings."

"It's not Stefan. He's not that person. But Klaus is," Elena insisted. "I'll call her."

"Well call her on her cell," Caroline told her.

"Tell her thank you for her help," Elena told her.

"All right. Well, I gotta go. I'll see you in a bit," Caroline told her.

"Oh, Caroline wait, just...keep tonight small. Please?" Elena begged making me laugh.

"Caroline keeping a party small?" I teasingly asked.

"Wear something pretty." Before either of us could say something she hung up and I laughed again before hanging up myself.

* * *

I was looking through dresses with Caroline as she babbled about a guy she wanted me to meet at the party.

"He's really cute. Dark hair, dark eyes. Tall." She waggled her eyebrows at me and I laughed.

"Why are you so determined for me to date someone?" I asked her.

"Because I don't want to see you alone, I'm worried that you'll feel like a massive third wheel forever," she told me.

"Stop worrying so much," I tried to assure her with a smile. "I'll find someone one day, I'm sure of it."

"So... you'll meet him?" she asked me and I just gave her a look. "At least consider it! Please."

"I'll think about it," I promised and she smiled happily at me before we continued going back to our shopping.

* * *

Later that night, Caroline, Tyler, Elena and I were getting the Boarding House ready for her big birthday bash. Elena was telling us about fighting with Uncle Damon about the possible lead on Uncle Stefan and Klaus.

"I feel like I have to fight Damon every single time we get a lead on Stefan," Elena told us taking napkins from Caroline.

"Maybe he doesn't want to find him," Tyler chimed in.

"Tyler!" Caroline screeched looking at her friend in shock.

"He's got a point," I told them and they turned hurt/shocked eyes to me. "Uncle Damon still loves you right?" I asked her and Elena just looked away.

"The only reason Stefan left with Klaus was so that he could save Damon's life. I mean, trust me, Damon wants to find him," Elena assured us.

"But you kissed him?" My eyes widened at the news as Caroline gives him the look. "Probably screwed with his head."

"You did what?" I asked Elena.

"Tyler!" Elena looked down before looking up at Caroline who finally turned back to her girlfriend. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry about it. Look, yes I kissed him, but it was a...it was a goodbye kiss. I thought he was gonna die," Elena sighed.

"So you screw with his head because he's going to die?" I asked giving her a look. "You knew that Uncle Stefan would do anything to find a cure for his brother and you did that anyway?" Tyler nodded in agreement before Elena's phone beeped.

"I missed a call from Bonnie. I'll be right back." She quickly moved away from us and I turned to Caroline.

"Anything else I should know?" I asked her annoyed. I'd done everything I could to protect Elena for Uncle Stefan, even tried befriending her, but this was a low blow.

"She was saying goodbye," Caroline tried defending her.

"Goodbyes are hugs maybe a kiss on the cheek, but from the sounds of it, that's not what that was," I told her.

"She loves Stefan and would never fall for Damon," Caroline said and I could tell something was off by the tone of her voice.

"Are you trying to convince me, or you?" I asked her before walking away.

* * *

I sat at the vanity in my room putting on the emerald earrings that matched my one shoulder shiny, emerald green dress. The dress was tight and fell to my upper thighs and the sleeve wasn't really a sleeve. It was open at the shoulder and the fabric just fell around my arm. In the corner of my mirror was pictures of my dad and his girlfriend when she was pregnant with my younger sibling, but she died in 1994. I didn't remember what happened, but I know that dad had been on a major anti-vampire rampage until the day he died.

"Dani." I looked in the mirror to see one of my best friends, Nigel Byrnes. Nigel had been my friend since kindergarten and I, at times, noticed him staring at me recently, but I never said anything about it because that was a can of worms I didn't want to open.

"Hey, Nigel, what's up?" I asked him standing up and turning to him. He walked into my room and sat on my bed.

"Nothing, I was just worried about you with your cousin disappearing and all." Did I also mention that he knew nothing of the supernatural world? He was my breath of normal fresh air and I planned on keeping it that way for as long as possible.

"I'll be okay and I'm sure we'll find him soon. Damon won't let his baby brother be lost forever." I hope.

"Well then," Nigel stood up and held out his hand for mine. "Shall we join the party." I smiled up at him before taking his hand which he placed in the crook of his arm.

"We shall."

* * *

About 30 minutes into the party, I needed a breather away from the teenagers swarming my house. I joined Elena in going into Damon's room when we got yelled at.

"This room's off limits!" Elena and I turned to see Caroline drinking from a blood bag.

"Caroline?" Elena called to her confused.

"Sorry. I just needed to take a beat," she told us putting the bag down on the counter and moving to us. "Are you hiding?"

"I am," I told her.

"I was just looking for Damon," Elena told her.

"Well, he better be here somewhere because we haven't even done the cake yet," Caroline complained.

"I think I'm gonna pass on the whole cake thing," Elena told her and I don't think Caroline's eyes could have gone wider.

"What? no, no way, no! It's your birthday! You know it's the dawn of a new day and, you can't get on with your life until you have made a wish and blown out the candles."

"Is that what you all want me to do? Just get on with my life?" Elena asked her hurt.

"No...Maybe..." Caroline said.

"No one wants to see you hurting and obsessing about finding someone who might not want to be found," I told her.

"I'm not gonna give up on finding Stefan," Elena told us.

"No one said you had to," I told her.

"But you have to admit that you kinda just letting your life pass you by. And isn't Stefan the one who wanted to make sure that you lived it?" Caroline asked her.

"You want me to make a wish? I just wanna know that he's alive. That's it! That's my wish," Elena said before walking back out of the room. Before she left, she seemed to notice something and went to Damon's closet.

"I'm sorry, okay. I'm just drunk and dumb tonight. Wait, what are you doing...?" Caroline asked her before the two of us moved up behind her. We saw all the notes and maps and articles that Damon seemed to be using to search for Stefan and Klaus.

"What is this?" I asked seeing a handwritten note that said "Klaus". A newspaper article had the heading saying "DNA FOUND AT CAMPSITE". Another said, "MAN VANISHES FRIDAY NIGHT".

"It's Klaus. Damon's been tracking him without me," Elena said.

"Why wouldn't he just tell you?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know."

* * *

Caroline had left the two of us alone in Damon's room while we sorted through the clippings and notes before Damon entered his bedroom.

"What? What are you doing here?" Damon asked us.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?" Elena asked holding up the clippings.

"Can we not do this right now? I'm having a really bad night," Damon told us.

"What happened?" I asked noticing his sad look, but Elena had other plans.

"All summer, every single time I came to you with a lead, you made me feel like an idiot for having hope," Elena complained.

"You were an idiot. We all were," Damon told us.

"Tell me what you know, Damon," Elena ordered.

"I know you need to get back to your party, Elena," Damon told her trying to get her to leave.

"Elena, let's just go." I tried pulling her out of the room but she ripped her hand out of my grip.

"We're supposed to be in this together. Why didn't you tell me that you've been tracking Klaus' victims?" Elena nearly shouted at him.

"Because they're not Klaus's victims, Elena, they're Stefan's!" Damon shouted stunning Elena.

"What?" she gasped.

"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard," Damon explained.

"No. You're wrong," Elena denied.

"I've seen it happen before. He's flipped the switch," Damon told her.

"He's in Ripper mode," I sighed, leaning on the wall behind me.

"Stop it, Damon," Elena ordered.

"No, you stop, Elena! Stop looking for him. Stop waiting for him to come home. Just stop! Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime." After he said what needed to be said, he looked slightly remorseful, but instead of saying anything he just walks out the door as Elena begins crying and touches her necklace while I hug her in comfort.


	2. The Hybrid

I was passing Uncle Damon's room when I heard the TV talking about Andie.

"Whether suicide or a tragic accident, WPKW News has lost one of its shining stars. Field reporter and weekend anchor Andie Star was discovered..."

"Just can't stay away, can you?" Uncle Damon asked, and I turned to see Elena behind me.

"You've been dodging my calls," Elena accused.

"Yeah, well, busy dating a dead fake girlfriend and all,"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena asked him.

"That would have been a conversation," I said.

"Happy Birthday, Elena. Stefan killed Andie. Cake?" Damon asked sarcastically.

"He called me, Damon," Elena told us.

"What?" the two of us asked her shocked.

"Stefan called me last night," Elena told us.

"Well, what'd he say?" Damon asked.

"He didn't say anything, but it was him. I asked Sheriff Forbes if she would trace the call's origin. It came from Tennessee," Elena told us.

"Where he's binge drinking on the country folk," Damon reminded her. "We went through this, Elena. Stefan's gone. I don't mean geographically." Damon threw the documents he'd been holding on to into the unlit fireplace, and I jumped at the anger.

"If he was gone, he wouldn't have called," Elena pointed out before Damon lit a match and threw it in the fireplace burning the trail he'd been keeping track of all summer. Elena shook her head and turned around to leave.

"If anyone can bring Stefan back, it'd be Elena," I pointed out to the vampire before following the angry brunette. I waited until we were out of hearing range for Damon before turning to her. "You know, there's someone else who would know what Damon knows."

* * *

I stood next to Elena as she knocked loudly on Ric's apartment door.

"Go away, Damon!" Ric shouted on the from the other side and Elean knocked again. He opened the door to see us, and I smiled up at the shirtless teacher.

"Surprise," I greeted.

"You're, uh...not who I expected," he told us.

"Obviously," I said with a grin.

"I need you to tell me what you know about Stefan and Tennessee," Elena ordered.

"Did you miss the part where I checked out of all this?" Ric asked her, and I looked between the two of them confused.

"Yes," I said raising my hand.

"Come on, Ric. Whatever Damon knows, you know," Elena said ignoring me.

"Ask Damon," Ric told her.

"He burned up any lead he had," I told him.

"For good reason. Because it's not safe for you. Stefan's off the rails," Ric told us.

"Yeah, but he's still holding on to his humanity, which means he can still be saved," Elena rationalized.

"And why do you have to be the one to save him?" Ric asked her.

"Because I'm not the kind of person who checks out," Elena told him harshly. "Look, he would never give up on me. I'm not gonna give up on him. Tell me what you know, Ric. Please."

"They've been tracking werewolves, he and Klaus," Ric sighed. "All over the eastern seaboard. We thought we had 'em outside of Memphis..."

* * *

Elena and I were sitting in the Grill across from Tyler with Ric watching us from the bar.

"A lot of us like to keep to ourselves for the full moon, chain ourselves up," Tyler said explaining about werewolves habits. "But there are some werewolves that like to gather in places where they don't have to do that, where they can enjoy it."

"What kind of places?" Elena asked him.

"Mountains, state parks, deserts, that kind of stuff."

"Any particular place in Tennessee?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Here. Give me your phone. I'll try to pull up a map," Tyler said and Elena pulled out her phone and handed it to him.

"Thanks for this. I know it's asking a lot," Elena said.

"As Caroline likes to remind me, Stefan's in this mess because I bit Damon. I figure I owe you one. Have you talked to her today?" Tyler asked us curiously.

"Not me," I told him shaking my head.

"No. Why?" Elena asked him.

"Just curious. Here." Tyler gave Elena back her phone and I looked at it over her shoulder. "That's your best bet."

"Thanks again, Ty," I said before Elena and I joined Ric at the bar.

"Did you get anything?" he asked us.

"How do you feel about a little hike through the Smoky Mountains?" Elena asked him showing him her phone.

"You wanna hunt down a pack of werewolves on a full moon?" Ric asked her.

"We'll be out of there before the moon is full," Elena tried assuring him. "If you don't come with us, we're going by ourselves." Ric gave us a look. "What? You're the one who told me that I could handle things on my own now."

"Yea, I meant like frozen dinners and SATs," he told her before sighing again. "A-all right fine. Let's just...Let's just go. But, uh, you're driving."

* * *

We made good time to the Smoky Mountains with Elena driving and quickly got out and hiked along a river following Tyler's directions.

"In a couple hours, the full moon's gonna rise just above that ridge. If Tyler's right, that's where the pack'll be" Ric reminded us.

"You were a boy scout, weren't you? A boy scout, slash vampire slayer?" Elena asked him.

"Slash whiskey-drinking all-around lost cause," Ric reminded her and I rolled my eyes as we stopped. Ric dropped to his knee and opened his bag showing a lot of weapons.

"Wow. You came stocked," Elena said.

"Well, we aren't exactly bird-watching. Here. Put that in your bag." Ric handed her a grenade and she looked at it confused.

"Vervain grenade?" she asked him.

"I'm betting wolfsbane," I told her.

"You'd be right," Ric said.

"Well, since we're exchanging gifts..." Elena showed Ric the Gilbert ring John had left for her.

"That's John Gilbert's ring."

"It was yours once. Go ahead. Take it. I'll protect you from whatever supernatural danger we're about to get ourselves into," she reminded him.

"He gave it to you," Ric reminded her.

"Yeah, but I'm a doppelgänger. It's not gonna work on me. He left it for if I ever have kids," Elena told him.

"Then give it to Dani," he told me. I held up my hand and showed him the ring Jeremy had given me before we left. I wasn't about to bring his sister out here without telling him and he gave me his ring for protection. "Yeah, well, then why don't you save it for future generations of stubborn, relentless baby Gilberts?"

"Okay, and how 'bout you borrow it until after we survive this?" Elena asked him. "I'd feel bad if I got you killed before happy hour." He took the ring from her and she moved closer to the water. "I don't know why you think that you're a lost cause." Suddenly, Ric moved me back and Damon appeared pushing Elena into the water. Ric quickly picked up the crossbow until he saw who it was.

"Damon!" Elena shouted in surprise at my eldest uncle. "How are you even here?"

"Thanks for the tip, brother," Damon said to Ric and I hit the older man in the arm.

"Seriously?" I asked him.

"You sold me out!" Elena shouted at him.

"You think I'd take you to a mountain range of werewolves on a full moon without backup?" Ric asked her.

"Get out of the water, Elena," Damon ordered the teen.

"If I get out of the water, you're gonna make me go home," Elena said.

"Yes, because I'm not an idiot like you," Damon argued.

"Right now, you're both acting like idiots," Ric told them.

"You gave up on him Damon," Elena said.

"I didn't give up on him, Elena. I faced reality," he corrected. "Now get out of the water."

"No!"

"What's your big plan, Elena? Huh?" Damon asked her. "You gonna walk through a campsite full of werewolves, roast a marshmallow, and wait for Stefan to stop by?" He jumped down and walked into the water.

"My plan is to find him and help him. Damon, this is the closest that we've been to him since he left. I'm not going home," Elena told him.

"Klaus thinks you died when he broke the curse. That makes you safe. This, this is not safe," Damon told him.

"I'm not leaving before we find him," she told Damon.

"It's a full moon tonight, Elena," he reminded her.

"Then we'll find him before then," she told him. "Damon, please."

"Okay," Damon gave in and I rolled my eyes. He always gives in when it comes to her. "Okay. But we are out of here before the moon is full and I'm werewolf bait."

"I promise."

"Unless you wanna relive that whole deathbed kissy thing."

"I said I promise," she repeated.

"You guys ready yet?" I asked them.

"Fine," Damon told the two of us before the pair got out of the water.

* * *

Some hours later, Damon decided to taunt Elena and me with the speed we were going.

"How you doing?" Damon asked.

"How do you think?" I asked him.

"Fine," Elena told him.

"You know, I could help you," Damon said. "Both of you."

"No, thanks," Elena told him.

"Why would you help anyway?" I asked him.

"You're my favorite niece," Damon said with a smirk. "Why wouldn't I want to help you?"

"I'm your only niece," I corrected him.

"Just one little fwoosh," he said.

"Yeah, with our luck, you'd drop us," Elena said.

"What are you guys, twelve?"

"Of course not," I said. "More like five."

* * *

Hours later, the sun was starting to set and we were still walking to find the pack.

"We got about a mile left," Ric told us.

"The sun's about to set," Damon noted.

"I can see that, Damon," Elena sighed.

"I'm just saying."

"We should go soon," I told them.

"I knew I let you live for a reason," Damon said smirking.

"The moon doesn't reach its apex for a while," Elena told us. "We have time."

"I'd rather not lose one uncle while looking for another," I told Elena. We heard some twigs snapping and a man staggered out of the woods. Ric raised his crossbow at him. The man was bleeding from his eyes and looked like crap. He sniffed and stared at Damon.

"Stay where you are!" Ric ordered.

"Vampire." He rushed at Damon with his supernatural speed and Damon used his to push him away from us. The guy managed to pin Damon to a tree and Ric shot an arrow at him, but it had no effect as he continued trying to bite Damon. Elena took out her wolfsbane grenade from her bag and pulled the pin from it.

"Damon!" She threw it to him and he made it explode in the man's face. He screamed as his face burned and Damon kicked him in the stomach finally knocking him unconscious.

"Let me guess. Hybrid," Ric said.

"I'd take that bet."

* * *

Damon and Ric tied the guy to a tree with all the ropes we had on us. Elena was spraying a new set of ropes with vervain as Damon held the guy to the tree.

"These ropes aren't gonna hold him much longer. What else do we have?" Damon asked.

"Ric, here. Take these," Elena tried to hand the ropes to Ric, but Damon grabbed it and it burnt him.

"Aah! Ow!"

"I said Ric," she reminded him shrugging. Ric took the ropes and tied them.

"All right, that's the last of the vervain. We don't have enough stuff to hold him. I don't think we're gonna make that Ridge before the full moon," Ric said.

"Then we should go," I said.

"What happened to you want to help Stefan?" Elena asked me.

"We came here hoping to find Stefan, yes. But I'm not losing any more of my family for this," I told her. "We'll try again somewhere else."

"We don't have any other leads," Elena reminded me. "If we can get him to talk, we don't have to go back." Elena reached her hand out to touch his face, but just before her hand touches him, he wakes up and screams as his bones begin to break.

"Is he turning?" Damon asked.

"It's impossible. It's still daylight," Elena tried.

"Tell him that," Ric told her as Damon got closer to him and held the wolf's shoulders.

"New monster, new rules," I told them.

"There aren't supposed to be werewolves out here until the moon is full," Elena said.

"You know, those ropes aren't gonna hold the wolf," Ric reminded us as the guy continued to scream as his bones shifted.

"Damon, we've got to get out of here. We gotta get out of these mountains now!" Elena ordered, finally seeing some sense. "Damon, now!"

* * *

We ran down the way we'd walked up, the moon lighting our path in the darkness. Elena tripped and I rushed back to her side before freezing.

"Don't move," Damon told us. Elena raised her head up to see we were face to face with the golden eyed wolf. It turned towards Damon for a moment before looking back at the two of us.

"Here, doggie, doggie." The wolf turned back to Damon as he used his vamp speed to run away, the wolf following him.

"Come on. Let's keep moving," Ric told us as we stood up.

"But Damon..." I said looking after where he'd run off.

"We can't leave Damon," Elena refused.

"He can handle himself. Let's move," Ric told us.

"No. If he gets bit, he'll be dead. I'm the reason he's out here."

"I am the reason he's out here," Ric corrected her. "I told him where we were, and I'm telling you to keep moving. Let's go. Elena, now!" We finally followed him back to the car where we waited for Damon to return.

"Stefan's out there somewhere and now Damon, and we're just sitting in this car?" Elena asked.

"Let the vampires fight the hybrid zombie mountain man. I'll take care of keeping the humans safe," Ric told us.

"I thought you were checked out of taking care of people," Elena said. On the way here they'd told me what had happened between her and Ric.

"I know what you're doing. Don't. There doesn't need to be a lesson here," Ric told her.

"You're better at it than you think, you know?" Elena asked him.

"Oh, boy, are you a sucker for a lost cause or what?" Ric asked and I smiled at them.

"You don't know yet?" I asked. "It's kind of our thing."

"You're not a lost cause, Ric. You're just lost," Elena told him. "But so is Jeremy, and so am I. Our family is gone. We don't have anybody. I'm sorry, but you don't have anybody either, so...We're kind of good for each other." Ric thought about it for a moment before clenching his fist.

"I'm keeping the ring, then," he said and I smiled at him.

"Welcome back." I looked out the window to see Damon walking towards the car, and I smiled.

"Uncle Damon!"

"Damon?" Elena got out of the car and ran up to him. "Are you okay? Did you...?"

"Fine, bite-free. Get back in the car, please," Damon requested.

"Can you just give me a minute to appreciate that you're not dead?" Elena asked him.

"I'll give you 10 seconds. 9, 8..." Damon grabbed Elena by the shoulders and marched her back to the car. "Hey, Ric, did you happen to see where I parked my car?"

"Damon, stop being such a caveman," Elena told him before getting back in the car.


End file.
